Intro/general thoughts: Jazz singer/songwriter, and one-named artist,Valentine is living his dream. Not only does he own and run a successful business (he's the developer and owner of Drumtrax MIDI drum pattern software; find it at www.vamtech-ent.com), he's a successful musician whose work has appeared in a number of different places, his most recent being his solo CD, "Walkin' Shoes." "Walkin' Shoes" is a jazz CD that features Valentine's outstanding singing and keyboard skills. On it, he displays his songwriting talents, singing about love, devotion, stress, and even making social commentary in funky Bob Marley style with "Mogadishu. "Walkin' Shoes" also features guest guitarists Greg Paul and Joe Stasio, who both put in stellar performances on "Turn Off That TV!" and "Xmass Blues" respectively.

Type of Music: Jazz
Hometown: Peabody, Massachusetts

Notable: Valentine has worked with such notable musicians like Richard Calandra of Spyro Gyra and producer Chris Brown of the Paul Winter Consort. He has also shared the stage with Al Dimeola, Gary Burton, Hugh Mesakela, and Janis Ian.

Highs: Being a big Bob Marley fan, "Mogadishu" hooked me with its Island rhythms and melodies, as well as its cries for social change and peace in the war-torn land.

Lows: I wasn't entirely impressed with "Call On Me." It moved away from the rest of Valentine's jazzy sound, and sounded too much like 80s R&B music, giving me flashbacks to my high school dances in the early 80s.

Favorite Lines: From "Mogadishu," Valentine evokes sympathy with lines like: 
When the sun goes down in Mogadishu 
The fire lights up the night 
You can hear voices cryin' for the children Mogadishu, our two worlds are one.

However, it was hard to choose between this and Valentine's complaint against the idiot box, from "Turn Off That TV!"
Tonight we didn't talk at dinner
Tonight we didn't talk at all 
Tonight the only one who's talkin'
Is the box in front of the wall

Fans: If you like Steely Dan, Bob Marley, or smooth jazz in general, you'll get into "Walkin' Shoes."

Foes: If you think all smooth jazz sounds like (ick!) Kenny G or Yanni, you're missing out on a lot of great music. Give this one a try anyway.

Summary: I'll admit, smooth jazz does start to sound alike after awhile, but trust me, it DOESN'T all sound like Kenny G. Thanks to artists like Valentine who creates intelligent and hooky music, you'll have lyrics to think about and music to hum while you're in the shower. Do yourself a favor, and pick up a copy of "Walkin' Shoes" and find out what you've been missing.

Artist's Website: http://www.vamtech-ent.com/sunset